Hose-carriage.



P. G. ESLEB..

HOSE CARRIAGE. APPLIoATIoN FILED AJMI.16,1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l IluHll COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

P. G. ESLER.

HOSE CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.16, 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PETER Gr. ESLER, 0F NORTH KAUKAUNA, WISCONSIN.

HOSE-CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application led January 16, 1911. Serial No. 602,982.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that 1, PETER G. EsLnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Kaukauna, in the county of Outagamie and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful improvements in Hose- Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lire apparatus, and more particularly to hose reeling devices, and has for its object to provide a simply constructed machine of this class which will reel and unreel hose with promptness and eiiiciency, and which will be durable and cheap to manufacture.

Another important object is to provide a reel which will take up the hose in long folds loosely disposed in relation to each other, whereby the drying of the hose upon the reel will be facilitated, and the capacity of a given hose carriage be increased beyond that attainable by the use of the usual single drum reel.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side view of a hose carriage equipped with my invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a hose carriage which may be of any suitable construction as to running gear and body, but is preferably of the elongated form illustrated. By this construction it is better adapted to its uses, as ladders may be carried of greater length, and a running board 10 for the accommodation of a number of firemen may also be readily attached and used. rlhe body of the carriage is mainly supported by the large rear wheels 11 spaced as far forward as may be, in order that one will more certainly perform the functions to be subsequently described, as well as enabling the ready turning of the forward truck.

The side of the wagon in Fig. 1 is made transparent so that the mounting and arrangement of the various parts will be easily seen. The sides 12 of the body are made of suitable material to support at intervals the journal brackets 13 arranged on each side of the carriage in opposed pairs,

and journaled in which are two shafts 14 and one shaft 15, the rst two being carried in the forward bearings, and the latter in the rearmost two. Immediately adjacent the sides of the carriage body, the shafts each carry the hose-retaining flanges 16, disposed at opposite ends of the shafts, and immediately inward of which flanges suitable sprockets 17 are splined to the shafts, one at each end, and one in the middle. Commonlv engaged with one sprocket on each shaft are three endless flexible members, preferably metal chains of suitable form, between which are secured at suitable intervals the transverse hose-supporting bars 18, which may be formed of wood or metal, preferably metallic tubing of an alloy adapted to resist corrosion. The shaft 15 projects through the journal 13 and carries the operating sprocket 19. Suitably mounted at the same side of the carriage there is a ratchet controlled hand lever 20, connected by the link 21 to a sprocket carrying lever 22, pivoted beneath the connection at 23, and having the downwardly extending arm 24 having a stub-shaft 25 projected outwardly and carrying the idler sprocket 26 disposed in the plane of a large driving sprocket 27, rotating with the wheel 11. Pivoted upon the side 12 to the rear of the shaft 15, convenient to the hand of a fireman standing upon the step 36, there is a tension lever 27', having a suitable pawl and control 32 engageable with the rack segment 28, and carrying on its lower end the idler sprocket 29 engaged commonly with which and the sprocket 26 on the lever 22 is the driving chain 30.

With the mechanism in the position illustrated in solid lines, upon forward movement of the carriage, the reeling apparatus will be operated to take up hose. To throw the device into inoperative position for free movement of the carriage, the lever 20 is thrown to the rear, which, through the agency of the sprocket 26 lifts the chain 30 out of engagement with the driving sprocket. Upon reaching a re, in order to save the time required for a man to get off and anchor the hose, perhaps requiring the stoppage of the carriage also, so that by driving away from the anchorage the hose is normally engaged with the under side of the sprocket 19, and it may then be disengaged from the under side of the sprocket and engaged with the upper side thereof as indicated in dotted lines at 35, the lever 2O being first thrown to inoperative position. Upon return of the lever 20 to operative position, the hose will be discharged, as will be apparent.

In my practical experience as a fireman I have observed that where a considerable length of hose is wound continuously upon a single drum not only does it prevent the proper drying of the hose, but when through drying on the outside or by the winding of recently used hose on comparatively dry hose, the uneven distribution of moisture causes unequal contraction in the fabric of certain layers, resulting in the kinking of and wrinkling of portions, which may result in serious damage before opportunity is had to properly dry the hose.

By the use of the present device the layers of hose are loosely supported, and in the very center of the completely filled reel there is always a large volume of air which has free circulation by passing in or out at the sides between the flanges 16. To prevent lingering of dampness in hose passing around the forward and rear shafts, the reel may be shifted slightly to bring such portions of hose into an intermediate p osition, where freer access of air 1s possible. The liability of mold is thus greatly lessened and the deterioration of fabrics greatly checked. j

l/Vhat is claimed is:

l. A device of the class described comprising a wheeled body, a plurality of rotatable supporting members mounted therein in transverse spaced relation, an endless hose supporting member engaged commonly around the members, a driven sprocket carried by one member, a driving sprocket carried by a wheel of said body, movable sprockets adjacent each of the first named sprockets, an endless chain engaged over the last named movable sprockets and adapted to be engaged with the driving sprocket at one side, and adapted for engagement of one side with the driven sprocket outwardly and inwardly thereof, alternatively.

2. A device of the class described comprising a wheeled body, a plurality of rotatable supporting members mounted thereon and in lateral relative spaced relation, an endless hose supporting member engaged commonly around the members, driven sprocket carried by one member a driving sprocket carried by a wheel of said body, movable sprockets adjacent each of the first named sprockets and opposite the other, an endless chain engaged over the last named movable sprockets and adapted to be moved into engagement with the driving sprocket at one part, and adapted for engagement of one side outwardly with the driven sprocket outwardly of the chain or inwardly thereof.

3. A device of the class described comprising a body, a wheel carried thereby a driving sprocket on the wheel a driven sprocket on the body, levers pivoted on the body each carrying an idler sprocket adapted for movement respectively toward and away from the driving and the. driven sprockets, an endless chain engaged over the idler sprockets for engagement at times with the driving sprocket upon operative movement of the respective idler sprocket, said chain being normally engaged with the driven sprocket at one side and being adapted to be disposed in engagement with the opposite side of said driven sprocket upon movement of the respective idler sprocket, and a reel device carried by the body and connected with the driven sprocket.

t. A device of the class described comprising a wheeled carriage including a side portion, a forward drivers seat and a rear remans support, a sprocket carried by a wheel of the carriage, a reel device carried within the carriage, a driven sprocket carried thereby in the plane of the first sprocket, a lever on the carriage adjacent the driving sprocket, an idler sprocket carried thereby, a hand lever operable from the drivers seat for control of the iirst lever, a link connecting the two, a hand lever operable from the firemans support, an idler sprocket thereon for movement toward and away from the driven sprocket an endless chain engaged over the idlers for movement into and out of engagement with the driving sprocket upon movement of the first named hand lever, and normally engaged with one side of the driven sprocket and adapted to be shifted into engagement with the opposite side of the sprocket upon movement of the second named hand lever.

5. In a hose carriage, the combination with a wheeled body of a plurality of rotatable supporting members mounted thereon and in lateral relative spaced relation, an endless hose supporting member engaged commonly around the members, a driven sprocket carried by one member, a driving sprocket carried by a wheel of said body, movable sprockets adjacent each of the first named sprockets and opposite the other, an

endless chain engaged over the last named movable sprockets and adapted to be moved into engagement with the driving sprocket at one part, and adapted Jfor engagement of one side with the driven sprocket outwardly of the chain and inwardly thereof, alternatively.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in lpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

, PETER G. ESLER. Witnesses:

L. C. WOLF, R. H. MCCARTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

